Physician-Scientist Research Pathway
One or two residents in each incoming class may be appointed to the Physician-Scientist Research Pathway. This pathway provides two years of funded time dedicated to research after completing residency training. This dedicated research time is in addition to elective time during residency that can be used for research.
This combined pathology residency and funded research opportunity exists for the express purpose of supporting and creating physician-scientists intent upon future careers incorporating both the practice of pathology and leading their own funded research laboratories.
The program starts with the selection of one of four potential residency structures, including:
- Anatomic and Clinical Pathology (AP/CP)
- Anatomic and Neuropathology (AP/NP)
- Anatomic Pathology (AP-only)*
- Clinical Pathology (CP-only)*
*Only applicants to the Physician-Scientist Research Pathway will be considered for the AP-only or the CP-only pathways.
After completion of one of these residencies (and the American Board of Pathology exam(s), the resident will then transition to a two-year funded research experience at Mayo Clinic. The principal investigator/mentor for the research experience must be a Mayo Clinic faculty member; however, this mentor can be from pathology and laboratory medicine or from any other relevant department in the institution. Matching into a fellowship at the time of residency application is possible via the PSRT, and this option can be discussed with the residency program director and the director of specific fellowships at the time of application/interviews.
AP-only rotation schedule
Only applicants to the Physician-Scientist Research Pathway will be considered for the AP-only pathway. Review our rotation descriptions to learn more about each rotation.
A typical AP-only rotation schedule includes the following (one block is four weeks):
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- Total
- Organ based cores
Year 1
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Organ based cores | 5 blocks |
| Autopsy | 2 blocks |
| Frozen section lab and general surgery pathology | 2 blocks |
| Cytology | 1 block |
| Lymph node | 1 block |
| Research | 1 block |
| Elective | 1 block |
Year 2
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Organ based cores | 6 blocks |
| Frozen section lab and general surgery pathology | 2 blocks |
| Molecular genetics | 2 blocks |
| Informatics | 1 block |
| Cytology | 1 block |
| Elective | 1 block |
Year 3
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Organ based cores | 3 blocks |
| Autopsy | 2 blocks |
| Research | 2 blocks |
| Frozen section lab and general surgery pathology | 1 block |
| Hematopathology | 1 block |
| Cytology | 1 block |
| Mayo Clinic internal consultant | 1 block |
| Elective | 2 blocks |
Total
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| AP organ based cores | 14 blocks |
| Frozen section lab and general surgery pathology | 5 blocks |
| Autopsy | 4 blocks |
| Cytology | 3 blocks |
| Molecular genetics | 2 blocks |
| Hematopathology | 1 block |
| Informatics | 1 block |
| Lymph node | 1 block |
| Mayo Clinic internal consultant | 1 block |
| Elective/Research | 7 blocks |
| Total | 39 blocks |
Organ based cores
| Pathology organ based cores | # of blocks |
|---|---|
| Bone and soft tissues | 1 block |
| Breast/biomarkers | 2 blocks |
| Dermatopathology | 2 blocks |
| GI/liver | 2 blocks |
| Genitourinary | 2 blocks |
| Gynecologic/placenta | 2 blocks |
| Head/neck and endocrine | 1 block |
| Medical kidney | 1 block |
| Neuropathology | 1 block |
| Thoracic | 1 block |
| Total organ based blocks: | 14 |
Note: Cardiovascular is embedded into the final block(s) of autopsy.
CP-only rotation schedule
Only applicants to the Physician-Scientist Research Pathway will be considered for the CP-only pathway. Review our rotation descriptions to learn more about each rotation.
A typical CP-only rotation schedule includes the following (one block is four weeks):
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- Total
Year 1
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Molecular genetics | 3 blocks |
| Chemistry | 2 blocks |
| Hematopathology | 2 blocks |
| Microbiology | 2 blocks |
| Research | 2 blocks |
| Coagulation | 1 block |
| Informatics | 1 block |
Year 2
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Transfusion medicine | 3 blocks |
| Chemistry | 2 blocks |
| Hematopathology | 2 blocks |
| Microbiology | 2 blocks |
| Research | 2 blocks |
| Coagulation | 1 block |
| Introduction to Anatomic Pathology | 1 block |
Year 3
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Lab directorship | 6 blocks |
| Transfusion medicine | 2 blocks |
| Chemistry | 1 block |
| Microbiology | 2 blocks |
| Lymph node | 1 block |
| Elective | 3 blocks |
Total
| Rotation | Blocks |
|---|---|
| Lab directorship | 6 blocks |
| Chemistry | 5 blocks |
| Transfusion medicine | 5 blocks |
| Hematopathology | 4 blocks |
| Microbiology | 4 blocks |
| Research | 4 blocks |
| Molecular genetics | 3 blocks |
| Coagulation | 2 blocks |
| Informatics | 1 block |
| Introduction to Anatomic Pathology | 1 block |
| Lymph node | 1 block |
| Elective | 3 blocks |
| Total | 39 blocks |